Mask and Method for Making a Mask

ABSTRACT

A mask and method of making a decorative ornamental three dimensional mask is described, including materials used and means for assembly.

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/645,461, filed Mar. 20, 2018, now pending, theentirety of which is incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Traditionally, consumers have occasion to wear ornamental garments. Forexample, spectators at sporting events often wear garments intended todepict their support for their team. Usually these garments take theform of sweaters or shirts which are exact or near exact replicas of theuniforms of the teams but sometimes show indications of team support,such as by inclusion of colors, logos, or a naming convention.

Sometimes, these garments can be add-ons to a wardrobe, such as anoversized hand in team colors. However, there is an unmet need for anoverlay garment, such as in the form of a mask, where the mask is a heador face covering which is concurrently a replication or characterizationof an object, animal, or even event, that is, for example, an ornamentalmask that is merely indicative of a sports team, such as a mask in thecolors of the team, where the mask may be a characterization depictingthe nickname of the team, such as an animal name, and where the mask orother garment is specialized, highly visible, and recognizable assupporting a team, yet lightweight, and easy and inexpensive tomanufacture. Such a mask is preferably three dimensional when worn,including attributes extending from a person. Also, there is a furtherunmet need for a mask or head covering, where the mask or head coveringtakes the form of an animal, object, or person, real or fictional, inactual representation or fanciful characterization, where such a mask orhead covering is lightweight, three dimensional, adjustable, ventilated,and including one or more openings for visibility of the wearer, amongother attributes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention meets these needs by being directed to anornamental mask and the making of an ornamental mask. More generally,the present invention can be directed to a garment and the manufactureof the garment, whether it be for a mask, a costume, or some othergarment. The mask of the present invention can be directed to arepresentation of a sports team, a particular athlete, an animal, a realor fictional person, a characterization of a person or thing, or anobject, as examples. Although the present invention is generallydirected to a garment, for ease of discussion we will refer to thegarment herein as a “mask”.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary mask of the present invention in the form ofa representation of a falcon.

FIG. 2 depicts cut sheets of the present invention stacked in squares.

FIG. 3 depicts a sample die of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts sample stampings of the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts sample multiple cuts of the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts sample separates mask components of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 depicts sample instructions for hand assembly of the mask of thepresent invention.

FIG. 8 depicts sample completed masks of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

In specifics, the present invention is directed to a mask formed from atleast one but possibly from a plurality of articles, each of thearticles interconnectable with the other articles without the benefit ofseparate attaching devices and arranged in such a way that the result isa single garment. The single garment provides a visual indication of ateam or support of the team, and may be at least one of an animal, realor fictional character, logo, etc. In general, all of the articles aremade from the same or similar lightweight material. Each of the articlesmay separately be manufactured and/or cut from one or more particularblocks and/or sheets to defined dimensions such that each of thearticles can be combined with other of the articles. Different of thearticles may be colored differently, such as for a team with multiplecolors in its branding.

In the preferred embodiment, the present invention serves as a soft tothe feel ornamental mask, covering the entirety of a person's face, butfor perhaps openings for vision and venting (e.g., breathing openings).It alternatively can cover only portions of the face. It alternately cancover more than just the face or portions of the face and portions ofthe remainder of a person's body. The mask of the present inventionprovides venting such as through openings at or near the nose/mouth areaor through embedded perforations, or both. In the preferred embodiment,the mask is worn by being slipped on over a person's head, withstrapping behind and/or above and/or below the head for holding the maskon. In some embodiments the strapping can be adjusted. In the preferredembodiment the strapping is formed of the same material as the mask,albeit usually in a less visible color, such as black, or the same coloras other articles of the mask. The strapping may be arranged as havinglocking tabs. In another embodiment, the strapping could be ratchetedfor locking. In the preferred embodiment, the mask may be at leastsomewhat adjustable for different sized purposes, or the material usedfor strapping can be somewhat expandable or flexible enough to expand asneeded.

A goal of the present invention is to provide an ornamental mask todepict a particular object or a characterization of a particular object,together with other attributes as described herein. The mask of thepresent invention may be intended to replicate a particular object or aportion of an object, such as an animal or the animal's head, or itcould be a characterization of the animal or the animal's head, or itcould be a replication, even in a comical way, of a real or fictionalperson or character. Alternatively, it could also be replication of anobject or even a logo. To be a characterization of an animal's head, thecharacterization might be related to a particular use orcharacterization of the animal, such as relative to the nickname of asports team. For example, the mask could depict a characterization of ateam mascot, complete in appropriate colors.

In order to create a mask of the present invention, the mask structure,its articles, and the dimensions of the articles initially need to beestablished. As a starting point, a designer or equivalent needs tocreate a design of the mask of the present invention including itsarticles, and including connectivity between articles. See FIG. 1 for anexample of a completed mask, inclusive of a plurality of articles. Ascan be seen in FIG. 1, the mask of the present invention is formed of aplurality of articles interconnected together. The design of the presentinvention includes determining each of the elements of the mask, bycolor, and the dimensions of each. The dimensions of each include thedimensions for the connecting devices, which may be separate devices ormay be a part of other elements. Each of the elements may be cut from asheet of uniform thickness and bent in a pattern to create a threedimensional map when all elements are connected together. That is, thepresent invention's elements are formed from three dimensional elements,each of uniform thickness, but when arranged together have a frontfacing side (and rear facing side) which are no longer planar.

All interconnection in the present invention is generally via tab andslot arrangements although other interconnecting means can be used. Inthe preferred embodiment, the mask is self-connection with nomechanical, adhesive, or other connecting devices being used. Based onformulating a model of the mask, a designer can formulate or fabricate aseries of articles which can be combined to form the mask, with theoverall design inclusive of connecting members. Each of the articles maybe different colors, and the articles may be separately painted or dyed,or may come from sheets of individual colors.

Such a design needs to recognize the purpose of the mask. For example,if the mask is intended to entirely cover a person's head for severalhours on multiple occasions, it must meet criteria for that situation,including venting, and being light weight and durable. Because it can beworn outdoors for extended time, the mask must be able to comfortablywithstand environmental conditions such as heat and cold, and remaincomfortable in adverse conditions such as rain, snow, and high humidity.Also, because of the desire to replicate or remind an observer of, forexample, an animal such as one a sports team is named for, when worn,the mask of the present invention should have a particular appearance.Further, the mask can provide the added benefit of acting as aninsulator to help keep the wearer's face or head warm, such as, forexample, if worn as a spectator on a cold weather day, and as a soundinsulator.

Once the structure of the mask is designed and understood, the designerneeds to prepare a mold or die for each article of the mask, recognizingeach piece will need to interlock with one or more other articles toform a mask. The mold may be formed for individual articles or acombination of articles. The mold of an article is usable for cuttingand/or shaping the article. Individual articles alternatively may befabricated using the mold, such as by injection and/or heat, or bycutting or stamping. For example, in FIG. 1 (element 120), the “beak”area is of a particular three dimensional shape can be formulated bymold. For the purposes of interlocking, the mold of each article needsto account for a tab and slot arrangement for connecting the articles.

In the context of the present invention, the mask is entirely made fromfoam or foam-like based materials. Foam materials, such as EVA basedmaterials, are particularly beneficial for use in the present inventionbecause of the material being light weight, easily cuttable, and easilyformable into the requisite shape. EVA also has the property of beingfoldable both to form the object and for storage. Other or alternatematerials can be used as well. By using foam based materials, eacharticle can be cut in two dimensions (with some defined thickness) butbe shaped in three dimensions. See the beak of FIG. 1 (element 120) asan example of a shaped three dimensional object. The choice of materialmay be based on any number of factors, such as but not limited to howthe article is to be made, ease of assembly, cost, colorability,insulation, etc. Each article may be dyed separately so that the colorscheme conforms to that necessary for the desired appearance.

In different embodiments of the present invention, the material used mayinclude one or more of the following attributes: washable with water,lightweight (i.e., low density), odorless, tasteless, non-toxic,durable, waterproof, insulating, can be cut using sharp metal,revertible (returns to original form after being bent), and imprintable(will hold a pattern that is applied under high pressure).

The intent is to result in a single mask, replicatable, which is readyfor wear.

FIG. 1 depicts a sample three dimensional mask 100 of the presentinvention, intended in the example to represent a falcon with a wing 140and extenders 110 over and above the beak 120. It is evident that thisparticular mask includes articles of different colors, connected via taband slot. Other portions of the mask include chin 130 and wing cut-out145, which is a portion of the wing piece removed to better emulate theappearance of a wing. Other masks depicting other animals or objects mayhave different combinations of parts, such as other body parts notnecessarily on a falcon. Some portions of the mask of the presentinvention include tab/slot connectors which are intended to notinterfere with comfort; that is, one article may have a slot forreceiving a tab from a different article. As described herein, thetab/slot arrangements may take a plurality of forms. The mask depictedin FIG. 1 further includes straps 150 and 155 for holding the mask ontoa person, visual opening 160 to allow a wearer to see out, and mouthopening 170 to allow a wearer to breathe. Alternate openings orstrapping may be included, depending on the characterization and/orstructure.

See FIG. 1, showing a filled tab/slot connection 230 for the extendersover the bridge of the beak. Tab/slot wrap combination 220 attaches awing 140 to a strap 160. In that situation, the wing includes a flap towrap around another article and includes its own tab and slot; that is,the tab of the wing fits in a slot of the wing. Tab/slot connection 210shows an alternative arrangement where the tab of a chin piece fitsthrough a pair of slots of a cheek piece. In each of thesecircumstances, the tab and slot are sized such that the tab can be movedinto the slot without later releasing, such as by having the tab widerthan the slot. Because of the flexibility of the material, the tab canbe folded over to be inserted into the slot and then unfolded.

In the preferred embodiment, all articles are made from the samematerial, albeit different articles are of different colors (as isevident in FIG. 1, more than one article can be the same color). Thefoam material of the present invention, may be formed of a closed-cellfoam such as Polyethylene or Neoprene, but is not limited to thatmaterial. The material is typically of a nominal thickness of 1/10inches, with a preferred thickness range of 1/10 inch to ¼ inch andpotentially with a thickness of up to an inch, with potentially openingsin the mask to allow, for example, for cooling, meets the criteria ofbeing lightweight, easily transportable when assembled, and onceassembled, remains intact without the need for assembly by a user. Inaddition, the form may be adjustable and the mask is foldable forstorage or transport. In one embodiment, a particular mask might beconvertible to be a different mask (depicting a second object).

The material of the present invention can be used to form a variety ofshapes. In at least some embodiments, at least one connection betweenarticles can be made with glue or another adhesive, such as to show onecolor on top of another. In alternate embodiments, different articlesmay be made of different materials or have different finishes, such asto accentuate certain attributes.

The materials of the present invention are generally and preferablyinexpensive. Because the materials used are relatively inexpensive, thepresent invention is an improvement in previous designs at least becauseof cost efficiency. Further, in the preferred embodiment, the cost tomanufacture is lower than present day ornamental wearables, largely dueto the ease of manufacture using molds and low cost, easilymanipulatable materials. The material of the present invention is alsoquite durable and can easily be compressed and stored. In addition, thepliability of the material allows pieces to interconnect with othermaterials, such as by using the various tab/slot assembly methodsdescribed herein. Further, the pliability allows for flexibility inparts when worn, such as a mouth opening. Also, the material can becolored in various ways, such as but not limited to dying, with thecolor absorbable into the material, thereby making the mask especiallyattractive such as by using pieces of different colors in combination.

In the preferred embodiment, the mask of the present invention is formedusing a material such as a material in the EVA family, a vinyl acetatematerial, such as ethyl vinyl acetate, or ethylene vinyl acetate. Typesof usable materials, either alone or in combination, include EVA, MicroEVA, Phylon, Kiplon® from Foamtex® of Mexico, Evalastic, EVA Confort,Soft Phylon, or EVA latex. The material of the present invention ispreferably formed of recycled materials. The material used may beavailable in any number of colors and can serve as a heat and/or soundinsulator. When prepared as a mask, the material is of any preferredthickness and is cut so as to be formed into a three dimensional shape.The mask of the present invention further includes the ability to becompressed into a smaller shape (such as for packing) and isself-expandable and revertable to the original three dimensional shape.The material is strong and durable and does not permanently deform underordinary conditions. The material is also cuttable and bendable. In someembodiments, the material may be perforated and/or engraved eitherbefore or after cutting. In some embodiments, the perforations and/orengravings, if included, would be added after the material is of thedesired thickness.

Among the features of the material of the present invention is fireretardant conformance to fire safety codes for wearable materials. Thematerial is also insoluble in water and includes no materials known aspollutants. It does not decompose below 80 C.

Each piece is flexible, bendable, stretchable, compressible, andotherwise pliable and includes the attribute of reverting to itsoriginal shape after being manipulated. A completed mask, in threedimensions, reverts to its three dimensional configuration after beingmanipulated (such as being compressed for storage).

The manufacturing process for a mask is described below. In general, theprocess starts with a single foam block of a single color in the form ofa three dimensional hyperrectangle block (although the block need nothave right angles), such as a cube. Nominally, the hyperrectangle isabout 3 feet cubed, however any dimensional three dimensional object maysuffice. Additional blocks may be used for each color needed.

Each foam block is cut into sheets of a specified thickness, where eachsheet is usable for a different mask or different elements of the samemask. At least in part because the material is pliable, cutting can bedone with traditional cutting tools, such as knives. Sheets for masksare typically cut to a thickness of 3 mm. At 3 mm thickness, a foamblock typically yields 40 sheets of 3 m×1.5 m. Each sheet is further cutinto multiple units, referred to herein as squares (typically squaresare used for simplicity, but other shapes can be used as well). The sizeof a square is determined by the size of the die for a particular mask.A particular die (or a plurality of dies) is designed to stamp all ofthe pieces of a single color needed for a single mask.

In general, a die is prepared by a craftsperson who previouslydetermined the necessary pieces and sizes/shapes for a particular mask.The die for a piece serves as a template for a cut-out from the square,and the die includes any necessary pieces for attaching the pieces ofthe mask.

The square is stamped, preferably with a machine impact press using thedie. A complete mask, comprising multiple colors may require componentsfrom multiple sheets. In general, the various stamped pieces are boundtogether in some way, such as by tab-and-slot, but without additionalmechanical, adhesive, or other foreign enclosures. Typically a maskconsists of two colors and would therefore require use of two squares,each separately cut. In cases where a mask component is used inmultiples masks (e.g., including a tongue or teeth), a separate squaremay be used to cut multiple items used for multiple masks. The usablemask components are separated by hand from the unusable foam. The maskis then hand assembled and packaged.

1. A full face decorative mask comprising: a plurality of articles, eachsaid article formed of the same flexible sheet material; each saidarticle formed by being cut from said sheet material using a die, eachsaid die configured for connectivity between articles, each said sheetbeing uniform in color; at least one of said articles self-connecting tobe formed so as to provide a three dimensional appearance for said mask;each said article configured to connect with the other of said pluralityof articles to form said mask; at least one of said articles usable toadjustedly secure said mask to a person's head and the remainder of saidmask; and said articles interconnected absent any mechanical closures;wherein said mask is configured to fully cover a face absent openingsfor vision and breathing.
 2. The full face decorative mask of claim 1,wherein said mask is formed comprising material acetate.
 3. The fullface decorative mask of claim 1, wherein said material is selected fromthe group consisting of EVA, Micro EVA, Phylon, Kiplon®, Evalastic, EVAConfort, Soft Phylon, and latex EVA.
 4. The full face decorative mask ofclaim 3, wherein said material is limited to EVA.
 5. The full facedecorative mask of claim 1, wherein at least one of said articlescomprising a slot for a tab.
 6. The full face decorative mask of claim1, wherein at least one of said articles comprising strapping forsecuring said mask to a head.
 7. The full face decorative mask of claim1, wherein where said strapping is adjustable.
 8. The full facedecorative mask of claim 1, wherein different of said articles are ofdifferent colors.
 9. The full face decorative mask of claim 1, whereinwherein said articles are absent any scoring.
 10. A method of forming afull face decorative mask comprising the steps of: formulating acollection of dies, each said die configured to be used to form anarticle for said mask; preparing a plurality of sheets of material, eachsaid sheet uniform in color, each said sheet uniformly formed of aflexible, lightweight foam material; cutting said sheets according tosaid dies; and configuring a three dimensional mask by interconnectingsaid articles absent any mechanical or adhesive interconnectingmaterials; wherein said mask is configured to fully cover a face absentopenings for vision and breathing.
 11. The method of forming a full facedecorative mask of claim 10, wherein said mask is formed of an acetatematerial cut from a block.
 12. The method of forming a full facedecorative mask of claim 10, wherein the material is selected from thegroup consisting of EVA, Micro EVA, Phylon, Kiplon®, Evalastic, EVAConfort, Soft Phylon, and latex EVA.
 13. The method of forming a fullface decorative mask of claim 12, wherein the material is EVA.
 14. Themethod of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10, wherein atleast one of said articles comprising a slot for a tab.
 15. The methodof forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10, wherein at least oneof said articles comprising strapping for securing said mask to a head.16. The method of forming a full face decorative mask of claim 10,wherein where said strapping is adjustable.
 17. The method of forming afull face decorative mask of claim 10, wherein where different of saidarticles are of different colors.
 18. The method of forming a full facedecorative mask of claim 10, wherein wherein said articles are absentany scoring
 19. A full face decorative mask assembly comprising: a firstarticle formed of a flexible acetate-based material and configured forcovering a person's face yet leaving openings for vision and breathing,said article further comprising at least one of a slot and a tab andsized based on a die; a second article formed of a flexibleacetate-based material a plurality of articles, each said article formedof the same flexible sheet material; each said article formed by beingcut from said sheet material using a die, each said sheet being uniformin color; at least one of said articles self-connecting to be formed soas to provide a three dimensional appearance; at least one of saidarticles usable to adjustedly secure said mask to a person's head; andsaid articles interconnected absent any mechanical closures; whereinsaid mask is configured to fully cover a face absent openings for visionand breathing.
 20. The full face decorative mask assembly of claim 19,wherein said assembly if fully made with EVA material.